Topics tagged with 'Science'
How we see ourselves in the year 2100
23 Nov 2015
Most books report on what has already happened. John O’Brien has written one that describes the future.
Business picking up the pace ahead of Paris summit
16 Nov 2015
Twelve Australian companies last week committed to strong measures to tackle climate change at the Australian Climate Leadership Summit in Sydney.
Go-it-alone action can break climate gridlock
9 Nov 2015
Researchers say the way to establish fair levels for everyone on global emissions reduction is for one of the major powers to stand up and set the benchmark.
Cash is key to success at Paris climate talks
9 Nov 2015
A former key figure in UN climate change policy-making says economists now see that development without destroying the environment is the only way forward.
Industrial waste could offset climate emissions
9 Nov 2015
More than a billion tonnes of potentially toxic, bleach-like waste is produced and piled in landfills every year, with often devastating effects. And yet most people haven’t even heard of these ‘alkaline wastes’.
Why we need a world agreement on agri emissions
2 Nov 2015
Pushing for a global agreement on agricultural emissions could benefit the climate and trade, says one of our leading climate scientists.
Best not to mess with agriculture yet, says NZ First
2 Nov 2015
Agriculture should be left out of the Emissions Trading Scheme until other countries act on biological emissions, says New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.
How to build a city fit for 50deg heatwaves
2 Nov 2015
The Persian Gulf is already one of the hottest parts of the world, but by the end of the century increasing heat combined with intense humidity will make the region too hot for habitation, according to research published in Nature Climate Change.
Solar can cut our bills and still be good for utilities
2 Nov 2015
The cost of solar energy continues to fall, so it is no surprise that more people are adopting solar.
Hurricanes wreak economic havoc as world warms
27 Oct 2015
Analysis of insurance data convinces environmental economists that climate change is pushing up the cost of dealing with the disastrous effects of extreme weather events.
Big emitters shift burden to poorer nations
27 Oct 2015
Researchers say emissions reduction targets set by China, the US and Europe place harsh demands on the rest of the world, and could cast a pall over the Paris climate summit.
Wages set to fall unless warming is tackled
27 Oct 2015
Researchers say the economic costs of failing to take action on climate change will be much greater than previously thought – with average global incomes cut by almost a quarter.
A new era of migration ... and not just for people
19 Oct 2015
The world is watching as refugees flood into a Europe unprepared for the new arrivals.
Worried health workers call for climate action
12 Oct 2015
Tens of thousands of New Zealand health workers are calling for New Zealand to take urgent action on climate change, which they say is a critical health issue.
It's time for the hard work to begin
12 Oct 2015
Recent trips by President Obama highlight the costs of adapting – or responding – to climate change that we are paying today and will pay tomorrow.
Scientists push boundaries to find alternative energy
12 Oct 2015
From algae to alloys, ingenuity in the world’s laboratories is fuelling experiments to find new ways of providing viable sources of clean energy.
France has a soil plan – and it’s not just about wine
12 Oct 2015
French wine lovers have always taken their soil very seriously. But now the country’s government has introduced fresh reasons for the rest of the world to pay attention to their terroir.
Climate threatens Pacific with seesaw sea levels
5 Oct 2015
Scientists say coasts and communities in the Pacific region face more extreme weather hazards as climate change magnifies the devastating El Niño effect.
Safer battery could spark investment in renewables
5 Oct 2015
Researchers have developed a battery that uses a common food additive to enable abundant solar and wind power to be stored cheaply and safely in homes and offices.
Elephant grass could offer viable alternative to coal
5 Oct 2015
By adapting a tropical grass to grow in the British climate, scientists hope to be able to replace coal in power stations with biofuel.
How low-tech farming can help African farmers
28 Sep 2015
Politicians and the Pope are not the only ones calling for action on climate change these days. Farmers are observing changes in rainfall, temperature and other patterns in weather that have spurred them into shifting their farming methods.
Let’s take the market out of conservation
21 Sep 2015
For years, scientists and environmentalists have debated the best ways to conserve and protect natural resources from pollution and over-exploitation.
India in disarray over strategy on global warming
21 Sep 2015
Researchers in India say its action on climate change is suffering because, unlike China, it has not developed the institutions needed to co-ordinate policy.
Smart modelling to help with aquifer management
7 Sep 2015
Smart modelling techniques will provide the horsepower behind a range of new methods to improve the management of New Zealand’s aquifers.
Scientists to probe ocean acidification
7 Sep 2015
NIWA scientists are carrying out a major research project to determine how New Zealand’s marine ecosystems are faring under climate change.
The green-tech future is a flawed vision of sustainability
31 Aug 2015
What does your vision of a sustainable future look like? Some people imagine a scenario whereby technology solves the world’s most pressing environmental problems.
Hurricane Katrina: what have we learned?
31 Aug 2015
Two academic papers inspired a media firestorm, polarising popular opinion and scientists, on whether global warming was in some way responsible for Hurricane Katrina.
Emissions are putting species in lethal danger
31 Aug 2015
Scientists warn that lizards, coral reefs and forests are all seriously under threat unless agreement is reached to reduce drastically fossil fuel emissions.
We can turn CO2 in the air into new materials
31 Aug 2015
What if there were a way to suck carbon dioxide right out of the air and turn it into useful products? It might seem fantastic but scientists have actually proved it’s possible.
Nelson talkfest to get serious about contaminants
24 Aug 2015
Business, government and academic global leaders gather in Nelson this week to talk about the environmental impacts of manufactured contaminants.
China’s carbon count is not as high as feared
24 Aug 2015
The use of poor-quality coal in Chinese power plants means that the carbon dioxide emissions of the world’s biggest polluter are 10% less than previously thought.
If we want to eat tuna, we need to learn how to share
24 Aug 2015
Amid growing demand for seafood, gas and other resources drawn from the world’s oceans, and growing stresses from climate change, QUENTIN HANICH examines some of the challenges and solutions for developing 'the blue economy' in smarter, more sustainable ways.
Time to tap an underused energy source: wasted heat
24 Aug 2015
Millions of people worldwide can’t afford to keep their homes warm, but few realise the heat wasted in our energy system could provide the answer.
Climate expert gives Anzacs a fail mark
17 Aug 2015
Australia has set a post-2020 emissions reduction target as poor as that of New Zealand.
Frustrated Sydney gets climate act together
17 Aug 2015
Sydney is acting to protect itself against heat waves, floods, storms and energy shortages as a result of climate change.
Why promoting green ways in Africa might be bad
17 Aug 2015
Inadequate infrastructure is widely recognised to be holding back Africa’s development and lowering the quality of life of its citizens.
Extreme weather puts Africa's food security at risk
17 Aug 2015
A British government scientific panel says increasingly frequent heat waves, droughts and other extreme weather threaten more – and more severe – global food crises.
Added gene can make rice more climate-friendly
17 Aug 2015
Scientists discover a way to boost production of the grain that billions rely on for food – and reduce its damaging emissions of methane.
World doesn't have time for pessimism, says IPCC man
10 Aug 2015
IPCC deputy chair Professor Jean-Pascal van Ypersele says he hasn’t got time to be pessimistic about whether the world will take action to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Revolutionary fence is set to trap the sea’s power
10 Aug 2015
A British company has announced plans for an array of unique marine turbines that can operate in shallower and slower-moving water than current designs.
Here’s how we can save the car – and the planet
10 Aug 2015
Passenger cars are still the most popular transportation mode. In 2014, nearly 68m were produced globally.
‘Peak car’ means UK might get much closer to carbon targets than it realised
10 Aug 2015
Cars are one of the biggest threats to the planet. The transport sector accounts for more than 60% of global oil consumption and about a quarter of energy-related carbon emissions, and it’s seen as harder to decarbonise than other parts of the economy.
Half of climate safety level has gone, say scientists
3 Aug 2015
Global temperatures have risen by 1°C in the past 150 years, and scientists say doubling that level could unleash catastrophic sea level rise this century.
Fossil fuel industry still winning the investment war
3 Aug 2015
The campaign to convince investors not to use their money to support the extraction and use of fossil fuels is failing to gain enough converts, experts say.
Sustainable oil from algae: the technology is ready, but what about the politics?
3 Aug 2015
Ultimately, all of the oil we use to power our modern lives comes from living creatures such as algae – albeit ones that lived 3.5 billion years ago, before gradually morphing into fossil fuel.
Message in a bottle: wine industry gives farmers a taste of what's to come
3 Aug 2015
Wine seems to be a handy way to galvanise concerns about the future ill-effects of climate change.
Why cities are a rare good news story in climate change
27 Jul 2015
The visit last week of 65 mayors to the Vatican to discuss climate change, among other things, reflects the central role of cities in debates that for too long took place only at the global and national level.
Soil maps could help show the way for farmers
27 Jul 2015
Detailed soil maps of farms could reduce nitrate leaching and help to improve food production, a Lincoln University report suggests.
Norway pumps up 'green battery' plan for Europe
27 Jul 2015
Norway is hoping to become the “green battery of Europe” by using its hydropower plants to provide instant extra electricity if production from wind and solar power sources in other countries fade.
Japan signs up for geothermal classes
20 Jul 2015
New Zealand and Japan will work together on geothermal energy research.
Hutt City Council slashes gas emissions
Mon 3 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Hutt City Council is set to cut its gas emissions by 60% by 2026 as it speeds up phasing out fossil fuels from public facilities.
Govt delays will damage carbon market confidence, experts warn
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | Emissions Trading Scheme experts have warned the Government that its move to delay decisions on the country’s emissions budgets will further undermine confidence in an already weak carbon market.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
Celebrities slam mining plans
28 Oct 2025
Actor Sam Neill has slammed plans for a gold mine in Otago, while Denniston Rose author Jenny Pattrick is backing a petition that would stop a coalmine on the West Coast.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Carbon price drops, now trading 30% below auction floor
Mon 3 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Secondary carbon market prices took a sharp downward turn last week, with traders blaming a continued lack of interest from buyers.
Brazil opens three weeks of COP30-linked climate events
Today 12:00pm
Brazil on Monday opens three weeks of events linked to the COP30 climate summit, hoping to showcase a world still determined to tackle global warming
‘Plain old dull’: NZU market continues to limp sideways
24 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The NZU market has been “plain old dull” in recent months, with activity driven mainly by credit opportunities or a specific need to raise cash, according to Lizzie Chambers of trading platform Carbon Match.
Scrutiny on energy security
Mon 3 Nov 2025
A special debate in Parliament put the Government’s energy security agenda under scrutiny, with parties splitting sharply over the role of gas, the place of an LNG import terminal, and how far to push market reform to ease pressure on power bills.
'Little to be hopeful about' – NZ scientists caution ahead of COP30
Fri 31 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Record heat, worsening climate impacts and global backsliding on emission reduction commitments have left some New Zealand climate experts with little optimism as COP30 approaches.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
Thu 30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
No high-level US representatives will go to UN climate talks, Trump officials say
Mon 3 Nov 2025
Decision to stay away from Cop30 meeting in Brazil underscores administration’s hostility to climate action.
Lake Onslow battery project set for revival?
Wed 29 Oct 2025
A newly formed private consortium has emerged with plans to finance and build the massive Lake Onslow pumped-hydro project, despite the coalition government’s decision to abandon the scheme.
From nuisance to crisis: New report on pest wasps In Aotearoa
24 Sep 2025
Media release: Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust | Just published is the Final Report of the Pest Wasps Survey carried out by the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust (MBNZT) offering a comprehensive look at New Zealanders’ awareness, experiences, and attitudes toward wasps and the growing ecological, health, and social issues associated with them.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council welcomes new flood data
Mon 3 Nov 2025
Media release | Hawke’s Bay Regional Council welcomes the release of the National Flood Tool and accompanying data by Earth Sciences New Zealand. This is an important contribution to understanding the impacts of climate change for New Zealand.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show marine heatwaves will grow more intense around the North Island and more frequent around the South Island as the climate warms – raising risks for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal ecosystems and tourism.
Media round-up
Fri 31 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A controversial seabed mining project could lead to sediment flows knocking over rigs and damaging wind turbines; weather-related insurance claims climb; and is the government playing Russian Roulette with our future over methane targets?
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Bank of England must better address climate risk to tackle inflation
Today 12:00pm
The central bank is being urged to take a series of actions to better respond to environmental risks.
No major banks have yet committed to stop funding new oil, gas and coal, research finds
24 Oct 2025
‘The objectives of the Paris agreement are slipping further out of reach,’ say researchers.
Z Energy settles greenwashing case over ‘quitting petrol’ claims
Today 12:00pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Z Energy has settled a landmark greenwashing case over claims it misled the public about moving away from petrol – a result Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says delivers long-overdue accountability.
Coal imports up 650%
12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Vero warns losses to rise 26% by 2050 over extreme weather
Wed 29 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Extreme weather could drive a 19–26% spike in annual insurance losses by 2050, fuelled by rising seas and more intense flooding, according to Vero’s latest Climate-Related Disclosures Report.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million in pipeline lawsuit, cutting jury amount nearly in half
Fri 31 Oct 2025
A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago.
Nelson commuters urged to ditch car once a week
22 Oct 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson has a bold carbon emission reduction target and residents are being encouraged to leave the car at home one day a week to help meet it.
Global oil demand won't peak until 2032, Wood Mackenzie report says
Fri 31 Oct 2025
“Global oil demand will not peak until 2032, two years later than earlier thought, consultancy Wood Mackenzie said in a report on Wednesday that blames continued momentum in the use of hydrocarbons for transport and petrochemicals.”
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Climate impacts hit NZ with increasing wild weather
23 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is facing a triple whammy of climate impacts today, with severe winds and rainfall predicted for much of the country while some areas are still dealing with wildfires ignited earlier in the week.
Ardern: 'We must not give up on 1.5'
Fri 31 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern says the world must not abandon the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal, warning that a decade on from COP21 “too many of the debates we thought were settled are still being had.”
Carbon Finance Program upscales efforts to close climate investment gap in climate vulnerable nations
22 Oct 2025
Media release | The Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) will work with the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) to upscale the Carbon Finance Program in reach and impact, supporting more climate-vulnerable countries to host high-integrity carbon projects that yield tangible climate, nature, and sustainable development benefits.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Experts warn new science curriculum sidelines climate urgency
Mon 3 Nov 2025
Climate change education has been pushed too late and too lightly in the Government’s draft science curriculum, experts say, with students not formally learning about climate change until Year 10.
Judge dismisses suit by young climate activists against Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies
17 Oct 2025
Plaintiffs had ‘overwhelming evidence’ of climate crisis but a court injunction would be ‘unworkable’, ruling says.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
Here comes the sun: solar surge gathers pace
Today 12:00pm
More than $700 million of new solar investment advanced last week, underscoring the pace of the renewable buildout.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
Climate scientists and republican lawyers are taking aim at Big Tech’s emissions
17 Oct 2025
Technology companies have long been one of the biggest investors in clean energy, but new accounting rules could upend that.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
How ‘vehicle-to-grid’ technology could boost China’s electricity system
Fri 31 Oct 2025
China’s surging electric vehicles ownership – now exceeding 25.5m – is opening the door to a new technology that can help to enhance the flexibility of electricity supply.
Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe
9 Oct 2025
Media release - Auckland University | The University's first-ever Repair Cafe is bringing students and staff together to give broken items a new lease on life, while promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Adaptation plan at odds with public sentiment: survey
21 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s position on climate adaptation buyouts shows a disconnect with public opinion, according to survey findings from insurer Suncorp NZ.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
2 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Critics across business, climate groups and the opposition say the Government’s electricity reforms duck structural change, double down on LNG and gas, and offer little relief for soaring power prices – warning of an “expensive white elephant", deeper energy poverty and a missed chance to scale renewables.
